Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) member, Türk Telekom, announced the successful completion of Wi-Fi 6E trials designed to demonstrate how the technology can be used to enhance speed and capacity in a variety of different end-user scenarios. Wi-Fi is vital to the success of Türk Telekom, who has the largest Wi-Fi footprint in the region spanning residential, enterprise and public space applications.
The trial, which was carried out in partnership with Broadcom and Intel under the auspices of the WBA trials program, clearly demonstrated the Wi-Fi 6E real-world performance benefits for consumers, enterprises and municipalities. Such benefits include high bandwidth and low latency wireless applications in on-premise environments. The greenfield 6 GHz spectrum coupled with Wi-Fi 6 (Wi-Fi 6E) is a natural match to high speed fibre to the premises and will accelerate deployment of 5G services. Regardless of the broadband service type to the premises, Wi-Fi 6E offers the opportunity to connect all endpoints at high speeds for a richer ecosystem and more opportunities of monetization of the 5G services.
The trial which took place in December 2021, consisted of a series of scenarios with different tests in both a closed lab environment and over a live internet network to fully understand the potential of Wi-Fi 6 technology in the 6 GHz spectrum (Wi-Fi 6E). The tests were orchestrated using a router configured with Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 6E evaluation platform, to which various clients were connected using Intel’s AX210 160 MHz Wi-Fi 6E card to make the whole spectrum available and get the best out of the technology.
The trial made clear that by opening up the full 6 GHz spectrum, it is possible to future proof Turkey’s wireless broadband capabilities in the short term with Wi-Fi 6E, and also lay the groundwork for Wi-Fi 7 so that its citizens can utilize the digitally immersive services that will drive advancements in education, manufacturing, entertainment and more.
Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the WBA, commented, “This trial by Türk Telekom, Broadcom and Intel demonstrate beyond doubt how important Wi-Fi 6E deployment is on our road to a more connected future. By operating in the 6 GHz spectrum, interference and latency are dramatically reduced, enhancing the user experience with increased speed and performance worthy of the next generation applications currently being discussed. The bottlenecks we’re already experiencing will become a thing of the past, and the potential for seamless convergence with 5G networks will not only provide more monetisation opportunities for businesses but establish the building blocks for a truly connected world.”
Türk Telekom CTO Yusuf Kıraç said, “As the first operator to trial the Wi-Fi 6E solution in Turkey, we were able to achieve a connection speed of 2 Gbps and above with low latency in the tests we conducted in the test laboratory established at Türk Telekom's Istanbul Acıbadem campus. These speeds we have achieved will enable many applications with the concept of smart office, health, entertainment, security and smart home to be used without any problems. Thanks to the Wi-Fi 6E solution, which we will combine with Türk Telekom's widespread and high capacity fiber power, we will ensure the widespread use of low latency high capacity services in homes and offices.”